Okolona messenger., November 24, 1921, Image 3

About Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
OHOLONA VXZZZZGZZ, OKOLONA, MICCICCLPPI
First Baptist Church of Okolona
Away back in the forties,
when the Indians had . at last
been driven out of the country
- and the white man began to take
possession; when the prairie
uass was as high- as the log
cabins and the wolves were a
r terror to the women and children;
when the grape vines reached
v from tree to tree in the forests
along the vater courses and the
tail canes and dense undergrowth
made a home for the bears and
wolves, wild-cats and panthers,
: there were very few cities and
fewer towns; and they were far
apart Aberdeen was only a
. small town Okolona was scarce
ly more than a name.
Wonderful stories were circu
lated throughout Georgia, Ala
bama and South Carolina of tne
rich prairie lands of Mississippi.
Home-seekers were attracted.
These lands were bought, andJ
the inhabitants were rapidly
: coming in and settling on them.
Among the number was a man
who came from South Carolina
with wife and children in a
covered wagon drawn by oxen
and located on the land he had
purchased along Matubba creek.
On an elevated sunny spot, three
miles south of Okolona, he- built
a one room cabin of logs, with no
floor at all, and lived in it until
. he could add another room.
1 This man " was John J. Hodges
I the father of Henry and Sam
Hodges and grand-father of It.
Hawkins. .
Other people came and bough t
land. Dr. Wm. Ligon, father of
Mrs. Lydia U. Hodges and Mrs.
Bettie Poore, settled six miles
further west The Jarmans on
the south nearer Egypt.
There was no church nearer
than Aberdeen and that' was -so
far away. So the people had
meetings in a cora- crib belong
ing to John' J. Hodges. He add
ed another room to his house
iipv to the, days - that are gone, we say to ourselves, "Make me a child again just for
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Realizing. that we are, as this goes to the press, in an earnest efforti6:be placed a good
bit apart from the regular stores, we are puting pur Holiday line on display now in order
: w
j to give our many customers
. IK 1
cSl So during the coming
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and used it for a long time to
preach in. " Finally , he and Dr.
Wm. Ligon decided to build a
church at Okolona. John J.
Hodges agreed to furnish the
money and Dr. Ligon the timber
and wprk. They lost no time in
seeking a place to build. ' Adam
LaGrone, grand-father of our
Sunday School . Superintendent
A. T. Stovall, who owned nearly
all the land in and around Oko
lona, gave the lot for the pur
pose. This lot was situated on
the northeast corner of Main and
Church streets where Dink Bar
ren's house now stands.
These were men from staunch
old puritan stock and when they
made up their minds to do a
thing, it was done. - No matter
if tools were scarce and towns
and saw mills far away, the
timber was cut, the sleepers,
rafters and sills were hewed by
hand. The boards were of white
oak, rived and dressed by hand.
The weather boarding wai of
pine and hauled from - Mont
gomery's saw mill at Cotton Gin.
It was slow work getting the
timber and dressing it by hand
hauling it to the place on ox
wagons, out everybody was in
terested in this building and did !
what they could. The new set
tlers cheerfully lent a helping
hand, so in due time, after long
waiting, the house was finished.
A plain, simple, square-conored
building 60x20 feet; two doors
facing Church street, on the
west, for entrance and three
windows on each side. It was
never ceiled. The benches were
made by J. T. Crow, uncle of thS
late Mrs. Nannie Knox and
great-uncle of Mrs. R. W.
Chandler, President of our W.
M. U. He was a cabinet maker
and a staunch Baptist The pul
pit stand was also made by him
and given as hiscontribution. v
1849 found the house complet
ed. The people throughout the
country and who were nearly all
and we warn our patrons to make early selections in order
to avoid any disappointments.
tt a" py
ii : l. v i, )
Baptists, were, notified of the
meeting to be held in the church.
They promptly responded to the
summons. The Dardens, Rich
ardsons, Randals,; Bramletts,
Shacklefords, Gills and Jarmans
were all there. They resolved
them3elve3 into a body and or
ganizad a church calling itThe
First Baptist Church of Okolona.
Rev. Felix Seward, whose home
was at Prairie "Mount and , who
had preached for them so long
in the log cabin, was chosen
pastor. ;. , '
There were three deacons,
John J. Hodges, deacon and
treasurer; Dr. Wm. Ligon, dea
con and church clerk and Davey
Richardson. These men drew
up the Church Covenant,' the
Rule3 of Decorum and the Arti
cles of Faith, which were read
every quarter and zealously ad
hered tO. . . ---The
church grew and increas
ed in prosperity. They had
preaching twice a month on Sat
urday and Sunday. All business
matters were attended to on Sat
urday, Conference was held on
that day also. No business on
Sunday not even collections.
The preacher was always taken
care of by some of the members.
He was made perfectly com
fortable and put to no expense
or inconvenience whatever.
The salary was small and paid
in money, and anything in the
way of supplies or provisions
wa3 gladly given to him. ' -
The ladies were active mem
bers and while they had no
"Society" or W. M. U., they
met and made their plans and
their own money without the aid
of the men. They purchased a
handsome sofa and placed en the
pulpit stand for the comfort of
the preachers. The first 6tovefoId church was never dedicated
and the first Mason and Hamlin
organ were likewise purchased
by them. . "
v It was a most enjoyable gath
ering of people who met here to
As we are arranging our store in such a way bringing forth
many toys, trinkets and other items too numerous to menton,
which reminds us that each day brings jus nearer and nearer
to Christmas, and Christmas means the festival held ip
memory of Christ's birth, and when we grown ups' look back
the early opportunity of selectieg
week your
y
worship. Everybody exchange
ing the glad handshake and in
viting everybody else home to
dinner. - - v
, Everything changed when the
wan:ame on in 1861. Okolona
was made a supply depot for
military purposes and when bat
tles were fought throughout the
I country from Pontotoc to Corinth
the wounded soldiers, the sick
and the dying were all sent to
Okolona. The Baptist church
was used for a hospital all re
cords and minutes were lost and
there waa. no preaching for a
long time.
After the war closed, the
church resumed its activity.
Bro. Webb was pastor for many
years, then Bro. Lewis Ball,
more generally known as Parson
Ball. '
Many noted men in the Bap
tist denomination pieached in
this pulpit. Bro. Wm. Slack
was pastor for years. Latimer
and Holcomb filled the pulpit
many times. J. R. Graves loved
to visit this people. They never
realized that he was keeping
them three hours and longer
listening to his wonderful serm
ons, even after he was parafized.
This old church was beginning i
to show signs of decay, and it
was very evident that a new one
would have to be built. The
members decided to change the
location.
In' 1895 or thereabouts, the old
house and lot was sold to Dink
Harrill and the present lot, cor
ner of Main and Gatlin streets,
purchased. '
: The new church was built dur
ing the pastorate of Rev. G. A.
Grammar and dedicated by Rev.
R. A. Venable, as the records in
the corner stone will show. The
The new church wai a happy
inspiration. ' Bro. Grammar
served his time - and after him
there came- many talented : Min
isters. inspection is
T7!
m
God's blessing has surely been
with this Baptist church for its
prosperity continues.
The New Year of 1922 will
find a large and growing Sunday
School, a real wide awake Wo
man's Missionary Union, a Girl's
Auxiliary that holds the banner
of the State, an A-l B. Y. P. U.,
and a church membership labor
ing in the Master's vineyard in
harmony and love.
"Behold how good and ; how
pleasant it is for brethren to
dwell together in unity."
. M. G. H.
To Cure a Cold ia One Day
Take LAXATIVE BROMO QUININE (Tablets.) I
rtops the Cowhand Headache and works off the
Cold. E. W. GROVE S signature on each box. 30c
r
J While thinking of something Good to Eat
Why not Call 1-2-3
The Busy Bee.
B
aker' Boy 'Bread
Winkelman
Memphis,
their wants for the
invited to our
r j
. m m a -. -on. njoa m o. as i o
MississioDi.
State of Mississippi,
To Ida Lucas, the Defendant:
You are commanded to apper.r
before the Chancery Court"- of
the Second District of Chicka
saw County, in said State, en
the first Monday of December,
1921, to defend the suit in said
Court of Charley Luca3, where
in you are the defendant
This the 8th day of Novembe,
1921. . . . :
J C. Wijliams, Clerk.
W. J.jyilliams, D. C.
No Worms la Healthy Child .
All children troubled with Worms have an oo-
heaithy color, which Indicate poor blood, and as a
rule, there is more or 1 ess stomach disturbance.
GROVE'S TASTELESS CHILL TONIC given regu
larly for two or three weeks will enrich the blood,
improve the diaeition, and act as a general Strengtb-
enlng Tonic to the whole system. Nature will then
throw off or dispel the worms, and tnecnudwui Da
tn nerfect health. Pleasant to take. 0c per bottle.
I
t
t
o
Baking Co.,
Tennessee
tonight.'
kiddies
store,
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